Norwood



Feb. 7, 1956 NORWOOD 2,733,745

CABLE-DRIVEN RATCHET TOOL HAVING OFFSET PISTOL-GRIP Filed Jan. 18, 1954 INVENTOR lal emflforwooal United States Patent CABLE-DRIVEN RATCHET TGOL HAVEN-G OFFSET PISTQL-GREP Lavern Nor-wood, Birmingham, Ala.

Application January 18, 1954, Serial No. 494,528

1 Claim. (Cl. DES-70) This invention relates to extension offset screwdrivers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a screwdriver adapted to permit the screwing and unscrewingof screws in places which access can be had only at right angles to the screw.

It is another object of the invention to provide an offset screw driver which does not require movement of the body of the screwdriver within the small space to effeet the turning action of the screw as with prior offset screwdriver devices.

Qther objects of the invention are to provide an extension offset screwdriver bearing the above objects in mind, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to operate, compact, durable, efiective, convenient to use and elficient in operation.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the screwdriver embodying the features of the present invention with portions of the tubing broken away to show the interior construction of the same;

Fig. 2 is a collective and perspective view of the ratchet and spring parts which are mounted in the head of the screwdriver;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively perspective views of different types of screw engaging drive members.

Referring now to the figures, represents the handle portion of the tube which has a bent part 11 serving as the hand grip and to which there is pivotally connected an operating arm 12 by a pin 13 which upon effecting a squeezing action of the hand will be moved rearwardly in the manner illustrated by the dotted lines and dash lines 12'. The upper end of the operating arm 12 extends through a slot 14 in the underside of the handle portion or section 10.

Fixed to the section 10 is a straight tube having its forward end split open to provide opposing sides 16 and 17 in which a screw engaging member 18 is journalled and which has a screw engaging point 19 on each end thereof. This point extends outwardly from each side 16 and 17.

Within the space between the sides 16 and 1.7 and upon the engaging member or shaft 18 is a sleeve 20 having a small hole 21 and to which there is fixed a ratchet or clutch gear 22 by means of a pin 23 that also extends into the shaft 18 and against it to fix the same thereto.

The screw 23 is in the form of a set screw and when released the driving shaft or member 18 can be removed from the screwdriver and replaced by any one of driving shafts or members 24, 25 or 26.

Journalled on the sleeve 20 is a complementary driving ratchet gear 27 having teeth adapted to oppose the teeth of the gear 22 and an external annular groove 28 in which there is connected a cable 29 that extends through the portions 15 and 10 and connected with the upper end of operating member 12 as indicated at 30.

Upon pulling the cable 29, the ratchet gear 27 will lock with the gear 22 to efiect its rotation and thus the rotation of the drive shaft 18. In order to hold the ratchet gear 27 in engagement with the gear 22, there is provided a helical spring 31 that is connected to the gear 27 and also to the side face 17 so as to serve to provide axial pressure upon the gear 27 and also to provide a return spring action of the gear 27 so that it can be given another turn by a second pull upon the cable 29 if needed.

The shaft 24 has a point 32 adapted for engagement with a screw head having a cross slot. The shaft 25 has a square end 33 for fitting a screw head with a square opening. The shaft 26 has a hexagonal end 34 for fitting a hexagonal opening in a screw head.

In operation, the handle operating lever 12 is pulled, and the cable 29 in turn rotates the ratchet gear 27 on the sleeve 20 and the ratchet gear 27 engages with the gear 22 to turn the sleeve and the drive shaft 18 or any one of the other drive shafts inserted therein. The other drive shafts can be placed in the sleeve 20 by releasing the set screw 23 to release the shaft 18.

It will now be apparent that there has been provided an offset screw driver wherein the operating head of the same can be placed in a space without the head end being worked or moved in the space in order to effect a screwing or unscrewinging action. Reverse action is had by turn ing the screw driver over to use the other end of the shaft. One end of the shaft is used for screwing and the other end of the shaft is used for unscrewing.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be withinthe spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An extension oifset screw driver comprising a substantially U-shaped handle having a hollow sleeve at one end an operating member pivoted upon the other end of said handle, said sleeve having an elongated opening therethrough receiving the free end of said operating member therewithin, an extension portion connected to said hollow sleeve, the central portion of said handle and said operating member being adapted to be drawn together within the hand of the user, said sleeve extension having its ends split open to provide spaced sides, a sleeve extending between the spaced sides, a shaft extending through the sleeve and adapted to be journalled in the sides of the sleeve extension, a ratchet gear secured to the sleeve and to the shaft, a complementary ratchet gear journalled upon the sleeve and having a groove therein, a cable connected to said groove and operable therein to effect rotation of the complementary ratchet gear, a helical spring connected to the complementary ratchet gear and to one side of the sleeve extension, said cable extending through said extension and being connected to the operating member at the free end thereof extending into the slot and said hollow sleeve, said ratchet gear and complementary ratchet gear having complementary teeth on the adjacent faces thereof, and set screw means for releasably retaining said drive shaft in said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France NOV. 27, 1952 

